Sunday, July 10, 2011

Gender Equality

I haven't been following and hence not blogging the Women's World Cup; I don't lack damn, I lack time. Still, happily, I watched today's USWNT v Brazil game, one of the most remarkable soccer games I've ever seen for multiple reasons.

I can report that, in a sign of gender equality, the Brazil women's national team are every bit the filthy, diving, cheating, whining, dirty and despicable pieces of shit as the Brazilian men's national team, a squad of filthy, diving, cheating, whining, dirty and despicable pieces of shit to a man. Maybe the myth of beautiful Brazilian soccer was true once upon a time, but it's bullshit in my thirty-five years of soccer consciousness. Fuck Brazil, the filthy, diving, cheating, whining, dirty and despicable pieces of shit.

In another positive developments in gender equality, the all woman refereeing crew proved they can be (a) as incompetent as any four man crew and (b) as petulant when called on their incompetence as any crew of men. The suck was spread relatively evenly against both sides (USWNT got the breaks early, and should have had one player red-carded for a second yellow on a blatant handball, Brazil late - Brazil's goal in overtime was offside), but the refereeing sucked constantly.

Two and a half well-spent hours today, four and a half hours in the past eighteen hours of compelling, satisfying soccer bliss. This oughta drive the pings down.

Adding, I love Abby (as four of you can vouch), but since when is black a color of the US flag and, in a set back to gender equality, why are the USWNT players dressed as nurses. Shittier kit than even United's megashitty red.

7 comments:

There were shouts of horror and glee and abject disbelief at the H. household. Loved, loved, loved that game. Marta's second goal, to be fair, was brilliant. Abby's header and Megan's service, every bit as much—and in desperation. What a result! Just wow!

Bogus red card. Bogus. Bogus encroachment call.

Rarely does a game leave me, a passive viewer, so emotionally spent—across the full range. Glad you blogged it.

Heh, you just about covered everything, drama, awful refereeing (the world's number one export) and jesusfuckingchrist shut the fuck up Brazil. Easily one of the two most enthralling games I've ever watched, and I can't think of the other one.

After a few replays, I don't know if that was denying a clear goal (see: Suarez last year) as Solo was right there.

@Landru: Absolutely. There's no way Hope stepped forward. One replay showed the encroachment and that awful, insinuating ref eyeing it greedily. I did not hear the FIFA explanation. And yes, Marta deserves the Brazilian equivalent of the Oscar for that dive. I'm not even certain there was a foul. And hey, I don't care which team Abby plays for if she plays soccer with the grit she did Sunday. Now, Hope, that's a different story.

@Jack: Yes. Yes. Yes. On the goal cam replay, you could see Erika take a few steps with no one around her, look around then drop lazily to the ground. As soon as the stretcher was off the pitch and before it even got set down, she hopped off it and sprinted to the side touch line to re-enter. Absymal. Deserved yellow. Stoppage goal = just desserts.

@BDR: Agree that the set pass to Marta on the second goal was offside. Horrible missed call; it wasn't even close. I mean, they patrol those leaners so tightly: if even a shoulder is past the back man on the break, it's OS. But man, what a strike. What touch.

And the handball no call was clearly one in our favor. No question. But I'm not sure she achieved any advantage. If the US had taken possession, it might've been called on delay. Do you recall whether that was the case? Did Brazil come away with it, or at least a 50-50?